Demolition was only weeks away but it is believed arsonists got to it first.
The old Halifax County Rehab Centre on Bissett Road in Cole Harbour — famous as the backdrop for the Trailer Park Boys — was destroyed by a fire on the weekend.
Fire crews responded just before 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon and the complex was ablaze.
“The rear of the building is totally demolished, totally gone,” platoon Chief Chuck Bezanson said yesterday.
“I guess you’d you call it the recreation hall — it’s joined to the rest of the structure with a breezeway and it’s a total loss.”
A fire investigator will arrive today to see if it’s safe to enter to complete an investigation.
Three male teenagers were seen walking away from the site and were arrested by RCMP officers on Saturday. An RCMP spokesman said there were no reports of charges as of yesterday afternoon.
The rehab centre was closed in 2002 and since then the owner, the Halifax Regional Municipality, hired security for the site. It was the set for the Trailer Park Boys television series and a few movies, said Mayor Peter Kelly.
The cost of demolishing the complex — at more than $2 million — was added to this year’s budget.
“It’s clear it couldn’t remain where it is so it had to be demolished and we incorporated the funds in this year’s budget and it will be removed,” Kelly said.
“From my understanding (the demolition) was supposed to be started by the end of the year.”
